1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a circular loom for and method of weaving ribbon-shaped materials, and more specifically to a circular loom for and method of weaving ribbon-shaped materials wherein the material is formed by interlacing multi-directional, fiber-reinforced plastic tapes or ribbons, and wherein the circular loom is of simplified, high-speed construction which is capable of forming the material with a tight uniform weave, without twisting or stretching of the warp and/or weft, and which readily can be converted to form a desired weave pattern selected from a large number of possible weave patterns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/314,232, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,933 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/738,461, filed May 28, 1985, abandoned and which is exclusively licensed to the assignee of the subject application, discloses a circular loom for weaving flat, strip-like, or ribbon-shaped material into fabric. In this circular loom, the weft carrier or shuttle assembly travels in a circular path and includes a body member carrying a weft supply, a motive power mechanism and a warp shed forming mechanism. A cam mechanism activated by the rotating body member orients entering warp ends in advance of the weft carrier or shuttle assembly into positions for weaving a desired fabric pattern. Other circular looms of this general type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,495,311 to J. Stuer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,694,254 to O. A. Fredrickson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,168,385 to I. Baumgarten, U.S. Pat. No. 2,454,146 to G. E. Ezbelent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,210 to P. D. Emerson et al and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,871,413 and 4,365,651, to S. Torii.
With specific reference to the above-mentioned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/314,232, U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,933 over which the subject application represents an improvement, the motive power mechanism on the shuttle assembly includes a motor which drives a sprocket wheel mounted on the shuttle. The sprocket wheel directly makes contact with spaced rods which are mounted about the periphery of a loom support table and which are further adapted to space the entering warp ends. Setting of the warp ends for a preselected weave pattern is created by a plurality of sets of disks also mounted about the periphery of the loom support table, with the disks in each set being adapted to rotate together on a common axis in a spaced apart relationship, so as to receive the warp ends therebetween, and with at least one pair of disks in each set having at least one warp end supporting member bridging the peripheries of the pair of disks. When a different weave pattern is required, the positions of the warp end supporting members are changed as may be necessary.
Final forming of the warp shed in the abovementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/314,232 is accomplished by a first pointed member on the outer side of the shuttle assembly, and a second pointed member on the inner side of the shuttle assembly, engaging between the warp ends as spaced by the rotatable disks, as the shuttle assembly travels around the support table. Control of the diameter of the resultant formed tubular fabric is dependent upon a preset constant weft tension to overcome the warp tension, which is created by weights, and in guiding the weft ribbon into the warp shed about a ring-shaped guide member with a horizontal-to-vertical plane twist. More specifically, the weft approaches the ring-shaped guide member with the plane of the weft horizontally disposed, and then travels under a lower side of the guide member and turns into a vertically disposed planar position in engagement with an annular inner side of the guide member, with a twist of essentially 90.degree.. The formed tubular fabric subsequently is pinched together at an upper end to form a dual layer of fabric, after which the fabric is pulled upwardly by and through pull rolls at a pulling speed which is achieved in a timed sequence to the speed of the shuttle assembly, by virtue of a solenoid operated pawl and ratchet mechanism. The tubular fabric then is slit and wound upon one or more take-up rolls also actuated in timed relationship to the pull rolls and the rate of weaving.
While the above described circular loom has been found to be useful in the interlacing of ribbon-shaped material under certain conditions, it has not proven to be entirely satisfactory in the interlacing of ribbon-shaped materials of substantial width (e.g., up to three inches or more) at high speed and with a tight uniform weave, without twisting or stretching of the warp and/or weft, and/or where the same loom is intended to be used in the interlacing of a number of possible weave patterns. Accordingly, a primary purpose of this invention is to provide a circular loom having these capabilities.